Archive for May, 2017

The past few years have seen gun violence increase in the city of Chicago, claiming the innocent lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The geographic and cultural diversity of Illinois, however, is reflected in varying attitudes towards guns across the state. The Constitution's guarantee of the right to bear arms only adds to the conundrum of firearms in today's society. The Catholic bishops of ...

Bishop Paprocki of Springfield tonight celebrated a Red Mass for those working in public service, drawing Gov. Bruce Rauner, House Speaker Michael Madigan, several Illinois Supreme Court justices and state lawmakers.
The bishop annually celebrates the Mass honoring legal professionals and public officials at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The tradition is traced back to the 13th century, when the Mass would officially open the term ...

May 15, 2017 show
State Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, joins Bob to talk about last week's Senate passage of House Bill 40, which allows taxpayer money to pay for elective abortions for Medicaid participants and state employees. Gov. Bruce Rauner has promised to veto the legislation, but Senate leadership is using a procedural move to keep HB 40 in the chamber. Next, Hillary Byrnes, Assistant General Counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, joins the program to talk about ...

The Illinois Senate today approved House Bill 40 on a vote of 33-22. You can view the vote count here. This legislation allows public money to be used to pay for elective abortions for Medicaid participants and state employees. CCI issued the following statement after final passage of HB 40. Click here for a PDF version.
Statement on Illinois Senate passage of HB 40, taxpayer funding of abortion
We are dismayed the Illinois Senate followed the ...

The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops today appeared cautiously encouraged by President Donald Trump's executive order on religious freedom, issuing a statement saying the order "begins the process of alleviating the serious burden of the HHS mandate."
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston said he and his brother bishops across the country "will engage with the Administration" to work to find relief for religiously-affiliated organizations ...